Research

Epidemiologic features of medical emergencies in remote First Nations in northern Ontario: a cross-sectional descriptive study using air ambulance transport data

David VanderBurgh, David W. Savage, Sacha Dubois, Natalie Binguis, Sadie Maxwell, Natalie Bocking, Terri Farrell, Homer Tien, Stephen D. Ritchie and Aaron Orkin
May 23, 2020 8 (2) E400-E406; DOI: https://doi.org/10.9778/cmajo.20190186

Article Figures & Tables

Figures

  • Figure 1:
    Figure 1:

    Included remote Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities. Source: Indian Reserve (Shapefile). Peterborough (Ont.): Ontario Geospatial Data Exchange, Ministry of Natural Resources, 2008. Reproduced with permission.

  • Figure 2:
    Figure 2:

    Mean annual transport incidence per 100 on-reserve population in the 26 communities (A) and mean annual transport incidence rate ratios (reference group age 40–44) (B). Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals.

  • Figure 3:
    Figure 3:

    Number of patient transports by community size and year (A) and incidence of transports per 100 on-reserve population by community size and year (B).

Tables

  • Table 1:

    Sex and age for on-reserve population and medical transports, 2012–2016

    CharacteristicNo. (%)
    Mean annual population
    n = 22 389.0    		Mean annual transports
    n = 2107.6
    Sex
    Female10 961.2 (49.0)1165.4 (55.3)
    Male11 427.8 (51.0)930.0 (44.1)
    Unknown0.0 (0.0)12.2 (0.6)
    Age, yr
    Females
     ≥ 65614.8 (5.6)159.0 (13.6)
     60–64230.6 (2.1)43.2 (3.7)
     55–59331.2 (3.0)48.6 (4.2)
     50–54473.0 (4.3)60.4 (5.2)
     45–49588.0 (5.4)60.0 (5.1)
     40–44635.8 (5.8)51.4 (4.4)
     35–39709.6 (6.5)57.0 (4.9)
     30–34811.8 (7.4)94.4 (8.1)
     25–29928.4 (8.5)102.4 (8.8)
     20–241122.8 (10.2)140.8 (12.1)
     15–191117.0 (10.2)126.4 (10.8)
     10–141189.8 (10.9)72.6 (6.2)
     5–91299.4 (11.9)26.8 (2.3)
     ≤ 4909.0 (8.3)119.4 (10.2)
     Unknown0.0 (0.0)3.0 (0.3)
    Males
     ≥ 65573.0 (5.0)140.8 (15.1)
     60–64253.4 (2.2)36.4 (3.9)
     55–59362.2 (3.2)44.8 (4.8)
     50–54496.4 (4.3)52.6 (5.7)
     45–49609.6 (5.3)61.8 (6.6)
     40–44635.0 (5.6)49.6 (5.3)
     35–39721.4 (6.3)50.8 (5.5)
     30–34817.2 (7.2)50.6 (5.4)
     25–291008.6 (8.8)64.0 (6.9)
     20–241153.8 (10.1)74.0 (8.0)
     15–191201.4 (10.5)58.4 (6.3)
     10–141276.2 (11.2)44.6 (4.8)
     5–91343.2 (11.8)35.8 (3.8)
     ≤ 4976.4 (8.5)164.8 (17.7)
     Unknown0.0 (0.0)1.0 (0.1)
  • Table 2:

    Number of transports and incidence per 100 people, by community size and year

    Variable; community sizeYear
    20122013201420152016Mean
    No. (%) of transports
    1–499343 (16.7)250 (11.7)230 (10.6)217 (10.7)186 (8.7)245.2
    500–1000438 (21.4)600 (28.0)539 (24.8)501 (24.7)499 (23.3)515.4
    > 10011270 (61.9)1291 (60.3)1400 (64.5)1314 (64.7)1460 (68.1)1347.0
    Incidence of transports, %
    1–4998.98.67.97.36.1–
    500–100010.311.29.88.98.7–
    > 10019.59.410.09.310.1–
  • Table 3:

    Number of transports by presenting problem, 2012–1016

    Clinical subheading for presenting problemYear; no. (%) of transports
    2012
    n = 2051    		2013
    n = 2141    		2014
    n = 2169    		2015
    n = 2032    		2016
    n = 2145    		Total
    n = 10 538
    Cardiac176 (8.6)202 (9.4)215 (9.9)189 (9.3)230 (10.7)1012 (9.6)
    Endocrinologic21 (1.0)41 (1.9)29 (1.3)26 (1.3)33 (1.5)150 (1.4)
    Gastrointestinal247 (12.0)261 (12.2)310 (14.3)297 (14.6)283 (13.2)1398 (13.3)
    Genitourinary33 (1.6)46 (2.1)61 (2.8)47 (2.3)42 (2.0)229 (2.2)
    Neurologic237 (11.6)235 (11.0)214 (9.9)215 (10.6)267 (12.4)1168 (11.1)
    Obstetric204 (9.9)169 (7.9)159 (7.3)144 (7.1)129 (6.0)805 (7.6)
    Respiratory183 (8.9)243 (11.3)262 (12.1)179 (8.8)255 (11.9)1122 (10.6)
    Sepsis17 (0.8)30 (1.4)25 (1.2)36 (1.8)36 (1.7)144 (1.4)
    Toxicologic142 (6.9)142 (6.6)146 (6.7)159 (7.8)202 (9.4)791 (7.5)
    Trauma252 (12.3)244 (11.4)239 (11.0)229 (11.3)223 (10.4)1187 (11.3)
    Other453 (22.1)480 (22.4)482 (22.2)499 (24.6)434 (20.2)2348 (22.3)
    Blank86 (4.2)48 (2.2)27 (1.2)12 (0.6)11 (0.5)184 (1.7)
Back to top

In this issue

CMAJ Open: 8 (2)
Vol. 8, Issue 2
1 Apr 2020

Article tools

Respond to this article
Print
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Email Article
Citation Tools
Epidemiologic features of medical emergencies in remote First Nations in northern Ontario: a cross-sectional descriptive study using air ambulance transport data
David VanderBurgh, David W. Savage, Sacha Dubois, Natalie Binguis, Sadie Maxwell, Natalie Bocking, Terri Farrell, Homer Tien, Stephen D. Ritchie, Aaron Orkin
Apr 2020, 8 (2) E400-E406; DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20190186
Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo

Collections